Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing


The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, often shortened to Triple Crown, comprises three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment in Thoroughbred racing. The term originated in mid-19th-century England and nations where Thoroughbred racing is popular each have their own Triple Crown series.

English Triple Crowns

In Great Britain, where the term Triple Crown originated with West Australian's three wins in 1853, it is made up of:
  1. The 2,000 Guineas Stakes, run over 1m at Newmarket Racecourse in Newmarket, Suffolk
  2. The Derby, run over 1m 4f and 10y at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Epsom, Surrey
  3. The St Leger Stakes, run over 1m 6f and 132y at Town Moor in Doncaster, Yorkshire
Since the 2,000 Guineas was first run in 1809, fifteen horses have won the English Triple Crown. The most recent – and only winner since World War II – was Nijinsky, in 1970. For many years, it was considered unlikely that any horse would ever win the English Triple Crown again. In the winter of 2006/2007, however, trainer Jim Bolger was training his unbeaten colt Teofilo for the Triple Crown and bookmaker William Hill plc was offering odds of only 12/1 against Teofilo winning the 2007 Triple Crown. The horse was withdrawn from the 2000 Guineas two days before the race after suffering a setback and never raced again.
Since Nijinsky, only Nashwan, Sea the Stars, and Camelot have won both the Guineas and the Derby. Between Reference Point in 1987 and Camelot in 2012, no Derby winner even entered the St. Leger. This reluctance to compete in the St. Leger is said to be because of the impact it would have on a horse's stud value in a market where speed is preferred to stamina.

Triple Crown winners

For a list of the annual individual race winners, see English Triple Crown race winners.
Triple Crown winners:
YearWinnerJockeyTrainerOwner
1853West AustralianFrank ButlerJohn ScottJohn Bowes
1865GladiateurHarry GrimshawTom Jennings, Sr.Frédéric de Lagrange
1866Lord LyonHarry CustanceJames DoverRichard Sutton
1886OrmondeFred Archer and George BarrettJohn PorterDuke of Westminster
1891CommonGeorge BarrettJohn PorterSir Frederick Johnstone
1893IsinglassTommy LoatesJames JewittHarry McCalmont
1897Galtee MoreCharles WoodSam DarlingJohn Gubbins
1899Flying FoxMorny CannonJohn PorterDuke of Westminster
1900Diamond JubileeHerbert JonesRichard MarshEdward, Prince of Wales
1903Rock SandDanny MaherGeorge BlackwellSir James Miller
1915†PommernSteve DonoghueCharles PeckSolly Joel
1917†Gay CrusaderSteve DonoghueAlec Taylor, Jr.Alfred W. Cox
1918†GainsboroughJoe ChildsAlec Taylor, Jr.Lady James Douglas
1935BahramFreddie Fox and Charlie SmirkeFrank ButtersHH Aga Khan III
1970NijinskyLester PiggottVincent O'BrienCharles W. Engelhard, Jr.

†Wartime winners Pommern, Gay Crusader and Gainsborough are not counted, according to many judges, as the three races were all held at Newmarket and racing itself was too disrupted. By this reckoning, there were only 12 triple crown winners, and only three in the 20th century.

Failed Triple Crown attempts

The following horses won the 2000 Guineas and Derby but were beaten in the St Leger:
There is also a Fillies Triple Crown for a filly winning the 1,000 Guineas Stakes, Epsom Oaks and St. Leger Stakes. In the past, this was not considered a true Triple Crown as the best fillies would often run in the Derby and Two Thousand Guineas. As this is no longer the case, the Fillies' Triple Crown would now be considered as comparable as the original. Winners of the Fillies Triple Crown are:
The so-called Stayers Triple Crown consists of the most prestigious long-distance races in the British flat racing season:
  1. The Ascot Gold Cup, raced over 2m 4f during Royal Ascot,
  2. The Goodwood Cup, raced over 2m during the Goodwood Festival,
  3. The Doncaster Cup, raced over 2m 2f during the St Leger Festival.
YearWinnerJockeyTrainerOwner
1879IsonomyTom CannonJohn PorterFrederick Gretton
1949AlycidonDoug SmithWalter EarlEdward Stanley, 18th Earl of Derby
1953SouepiCharlie ElliottGeorge DigbyGeorge Digby
1979Le MossLester Piggott, Joe MercerHenry CecilCarlo d'Alessio
1980Le MossJoe MercerHenry CecilCarlo d'Alessio
1986LongboatWillie CarsonDick HernDick Hollingsworth
1995Double TriggerJason WeaverMark JohnstonR W Huggins
2019StradivariusFrankie DettoriJohn GosdenBjorn Nielsen

United States Triple Crowns

In the United States, the three races that make up the Triple Crown are:
  1. Kentucky Derby, run over the dirt track at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky
  2. Preakness Stakes, run over the dirt track at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland
  3. Belmont Stakes, run over the dirt track at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City

    Triple Crown winners

Triple Tiara

There have been several different versions of the Triple Tiara in the United States. One of them was a national version that consisted of undercard events on the same weekends as the associated Triple Crown races:
  1. Kentucky Oaks, run over on a dirt track, at Churchill Downs;
  2. Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, run over on a dirt track, at Pimlico Race Course;
  3. Acorn Stakes, run over on a dirt track, at Belmont Park;
Only one filly won this version of the Triple Tiara, Davona Dale in 1979. Few have even tried as the short time between the Kentucky Oaks and Black-Eyed Susan is generally considered too short for fillies.
The most commonly accepted version of the Triple Tiara is the American Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing which uses three races from New York. From 1957 to 2002, and 2007 to 2009, these three races were the Acorn Stakes, the Mother Goose Stakes, and the Coaching Club American Oaks. Eight fillies won this version of the New York Triple Tiara:
In 2010, the NYRA changed the configuration of the Triple Tiara to include the Alabama Stakes instead of the Mother Goose. Thus far, no filly has won the reconfigured Triple Tiara.

Ireland

In Ireland, the Triple Crown, modelled on the English equivalent, is made up of
  1. the Irish 2,000 Guineas
  2. the Irish Derby
  3. the Irish St. Leger
All three races are run at the Curragh.

Triple Crown winners

For a list of the annual individual race winners, see Irish Triple Crown race winners.
Only two horses have won all three races since the Irish Two Thousand Guineas was first run in 1921:
In Canada the three races that comprise the Triple Crown are:
  1. Queen's Plate
  2. Prince of Wales Stakes
  3. Breeders' Stakes

    Winners of the Canadian Triple Crown

The Canadian Triple Crown was established in 1959 and since then seven horses have won it. In 2014, the Hall of Fame decided to honor the five horses who had won the three races before 1959, meaning 12 horses are now officially recognized as winning the Canadian Triple Crown.

Pre-1959 establishment

The Canadian Triple Tiara consists of:
  1. Woodbine Oaks
  2. Bison City Stakes
  3. Wonder Where Stakes
To date, only one filly has won it:
The Australian Triple Crown comprises the following races:
  1. Randwick Guineas
  2. Rosehill Guineas
  3. AJC Australian Derby.
The three-year-old Triple Crown initially included the Canterbury Guineas but nowadays the first leg is the Randwick Guineas.

Australian Triple Crown champions

A total of five horses have won the Australian Triple Crown:
YearWinner
1943Moorland
1959Martello Towers
1973Imagele
1996Octagonal
2013Dundeel

The Two Year Old Triple Crown consists of:
  1. Golden Slipper Stakes
  2. AJC Sires Produce Stakes
  3. Champagne Stakes
Only six horses have won the Australian Two Year Old Triple Crown:
In Germany, the Triple Crown consists of
  1. Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen, German 2000 Guineas, Cologne, 1600 m
  2. Deutsches Derby, Hamburg, 2400 m
  3. Deutsches St. Leger, Dortmund, 2800 m
Only one horse has won the German Triple Crown, Königsstuhl in 1979.
In East Germany the Dreifache Krone consisted of
  1. Frühjahrszuchtpreis der Dreijährigen
  2. Derby der DDR
  3. Großer Herbstpreis der Dreijährigen
Three horses have won the East German Triple Crown:
YearNamePedigreeBreederOwnerTrainer
1955FaktotumHarlekin - Frühlingssonne by LamposGraditz StudGraditz StudR. Kortum
1979GidronSantamoss - Geografia by GirstGraditz StudGraditz StudF. Borrack
1987LomberTrion - Lolita by ZigeunersohnGraditz StudGraditz StudH. Schäfke

France

The French Triple Crown consists of:
  1. Poule d'Essai des Poulains
  2. Prix du Jockey Club
  3. Grand Prix de Paris
Previously the French Triple Crown consisted of
  1. Poule d'Essai des Poulains
  2. Prix du Jockey Club
  3. Prix Royal-Oak
Two horses have swept the French Triple Crown
For fillies:
  1. Poule d'Essai des Pouliches
  2. Prix de Diane
  3. Prix Vermeille
Four fillies have won all three races:
Previously the French Triple Crown for fillies consisted of:
  1. Poule d'Essai des Pouliche
  2. Prix de Diane
  3. Prix Royal-Oak
No filly has ever won the series.

Belgium

The Belgian Triple Crown consists of:
  1. Poule d'Essai des Poulains
  2. Derby Belge
  3. St. Leger Belge
Known Triple Crown winners in Belgium:
The Fillies' Triple Crown in Belgium appears to consist of:
  1. Poule d'Essai des Pouliches
  2. Prix de Gustave Roy de Blicquy
  3. St. Leger Belge
One filly is known to have won all three races:
Belgium's Jockey Club does not disclose histories of its Triple Crown races. It is not known if the lists above are complete, and it is not known if any of the above races are still being run in Belgium. The last Derby Belge for which there is any known record was in 2011, when the race was won by German-bred Revanta.

Hungary

The Hungarian Triple consists of:
  1. Nemzeti dij
  2. Magyar Derby
  3. Magyar St. Leger
Hungarian Triple Crown winners are:
The Hungarian Fillies' Triple Crown consists of:
  1. Hazafi dij
  2. Magyar Kancadíj
  3. Magyar St. Leger
No filly has swept the Hungarian Fillies' Triple Crown.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, the Triple Crown series consists of:
  1. Swiss Derby
  2. Swiss 2000 Guineas
  3. Swiss St. Leger
Plus the series for fillies
  1. Swiss Oaks
  2. Swiss 1000 Guineas
One horse has won the Swiss Triple Crown.
In Denmark, the Triple Crown series consists of:
  1. Dansk Derby
  2. Dansk Forarslob
  3. Dansk St. Leger
Three horses have won the Danish Triple Crown:
The Danish Filly Triple Crown consists of:
  1. Dansk Oaks
  2. Marowinalob
  3. Dansk St. Leger
One filly has swept all three races:
The Swedish Triple Crown consists of:
  1. Svenskt Derby
  2. Jockeyklubbens Jubileumslöpning
  3. Svenskt St. Leger
Three horses have swept the Swedish Triple Crown:
The Swedish Filly Triple Crown consists of:
  1. Dianalöpning
  2. Svensk Oaks
  3. Svenskt St. Leger
One filly has swept all three races:
The Norsk Triple Crown series consists of:
  1. Norsk 2000 Guineas
  2. Norsk Derby
  3. Norsk St. Leger
Eight horses have swept the Norwegian Triple Crown:
The Norwegian Filly Triple Crown consists of:
  1. Norsk 1000 Guineas
  2. Norsk Oaks
  3. Norsk St. Leger
No filly has swept all three races.

The Netherlands

The Dutch Triple Crown consists of:
  1. Hengsten Productenren
  2. Dutch Derby
  3. Dutch St. Leger
The following horses have swept the Dutch Triple Crown:
The Dutch Fillies' Triple Crown consists of:
  1. Merries Productenren
  2. Diana-prijs
  3. Dutch St. Leger
The following horses have swept the series:
The Dutch Triple Crown races, except the Dutch Derby and possibly the Dutch Oaks, have not been run since around 2008.

India

The three races that comprise the Indian Triple Crown are the Indian 2000 Guineas, the Indian Derby and the Indian St Leger, all run at Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai. The 2000 Guineas is run in December, and the Derby on the first Sunday of the following February. The St Leger is usually run in April; between 1970 and 1990 it was run at Pune, before being shifted to Mumbai. It is now again being run in Pune.
Ten horses have won the Indian Triple Crown:
One filly has swept the series for fillies :
The Kenya Triple Crown series is run at Ngong Racecourse, in Nairobi, and consists of:
  1. Kenya Derby
  2. Kenya Guineas
  3. Kenya St. Leger
The three races have been won by:
The Kenya Fillies' Triple Crown consists of:
  1. Kenya Fillies Guineas
  2. Kenya Oaks
  3. Kenya St. Leger
The three races have been won by:
In Turkey, the three races that compose the Triple Crown are:
  1. Erkek Tay Deneme or Dişi Tay Deneme
  2. Gazi Derby
  3. Ankara Stakes
Three-year-old horses are eligible for the Turkish Triple Crown.
Champions of the Turkish Triple Crown are:
The Turkish Fillies' Triple Crown consists of:
  1. Disi Tay Deneme
  2. Kisrak
  3. Ankara Stakes
Fillies that have swept this series are:
Japan has two sets of races referred to as Triple Crowns.
Japanese Triple Crown
  1. the Satsuki Sho, at Nakayama Racecourse in Funabashi, Chiba
  2. the Tokyo Yushun, at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo
  3. the Kikuka Sho, at Kyoto Racecourse in Kyoto, Kyoto
Only seven horses have received the Japanese Triple Crown:
Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown
  1. the Oka Sho, at Hanshin Racecourse in Takarazuka, Hyogo
  2. the Yushun Himba, at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo
  3. the Shuka Sho, at Kyoto Racecourse in Kyoto, Kyoto / the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup
Only five horses have received the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown:
The Triple Crown series at Hong Kong's Sha Tin Racecourse consists of three races at increasingly longer distances. Unlike most other Triple Crown events, these races are not confined to three-year-olds. They are:
  1. Hong Kong Stewards' Cup at held in January
  2. Hong Kong Gold Cup at held in February
  3. Hong Kong Champions & Chater Cup at held in May
In 1994, River Verdon became the first, and to date, only horse to win the Hong Kong Triple Crown.
In Hong Kong, there are two other Triple Crown series, the Hong Kong Speed Series and the Four-year-old Series.

Italy

The Triple Crown series consists in three races at increasingly longer distances.
  1. Premio Parioli at Capannelle Racecourse in Rome, 1600 m, Group 3
  2. Derby Italiano at Capenelle Racecourse in Rome, 2200 m, Group 2
  3. St. Leger Italiano, at San Siro Racecourse in Milano, 1 mile, 6 furlongs
Three horses have swept the Italian Triple Crown:
The Italian Fillies' Triple Crown consists of:
  1. Premio Regina Elena
  2. Oaks d'Italiano
  3. St. Leger Italiano
No filly has swept all three races, but Jacopa de Sellaio won the Premio Parioli, Derby Italiano, Premio Regina Elena, and Oaks d'Italia in 1932.

Spain

The Triple Crown series consists of:
  1. Premio Cimera
  2. Premio Villapadierna
  3. Premio Villamejor
Two horses have swept the Spanish Triple Crown:
The Triple Crown for fillies consists of:
  1. Premio Valderas
  2. Premio Beamonte
  3. Premio Villamejor
One filly has swept all three races:
In Macau, the Macau Jockey Club introduced the Triple Crown Series in 2008, with three races all held in Taipa Racecourse, Macau:
  1. Director's Cup, Macau Group 2 Race,
  2. Macau Cup, Macau Group 2 Race,
  3. Macau Gold Cup, Macau Group 1 Race,
In 2009 Macau Jockey Club changed the series for 4-year old horses:
  1. Macau Guineas, Macau Group 1 Race,, only for 4-year old horses
  2. Macau Derby, Macau Group 1 Race,, only for 4-year old horses
  3. Macau Gold Cup, Macau Group 1 Race,
In 2010, Luen Yat Forever become the first and, to date, only horse to win the Macau Triple Crown.

Argentina

The three races that comprise the Triple Crown in Argentina are:
  1. Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos and Gran Premio Polla de Potrancas, Hipodromo Argentino de Palermo
  2. Gran Premio Jockey Club, Hipodromo de San Isidro
  3. Gran Premio Nacional, Hipodromo Argentino de Palermo
Winners of the Argentinian Triple Crown are:
The Mexican Triple Crown series consists of:
  1. Derby Mexicano
  2. Stakes Jockey Club Mexicano
  3. Gran Premio Nacional.
All three races are contested at Hippodromo de las Americas, in Mexico City.
Mexican Triple Crown winners:
The Mexican Fillies' Triple Crown series consists of :
  1. Clasico Rubi
  2. Clasico Esmeralda
  3. Clasico Diamante.
All three races are contested at Hippodromo de las Americas, in Mexico City.
Mexican Filly Triple Crown winners:
The three races that comprise the Triple Crown in Chile are:
  1. Clásico El Ensayo, Club Hipico de Santiago
  2. Clásico St. Leger, Hipodromo Chile
  3. El Derby, Valparaiso Sporting Club.
Winners of the Chilean Triple Crown are:
The Barbados Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing is a series of thoroughbred horse races run annually at Garrison Savannah Racetrack near Bridgetown, Barbados, consisting of races of increasing distance:
  1. Barbados Guineas
  2. Midsummer Creole Classic
  3. Barbados Derby
The winners of the Dominican Republic Triple Crown have been:
The three races that comprise the Triple Crown in the Dominican Republic are:
  1. Clásico Matías Ramón Mella
  2. Clásico Francisco del Rosario Sanchez
  3. Clásico Juan Pablo Duarte
The winners of the Dominican Republic Triple Crown have been:
The Jamaican Triple Crown series at Caymanas Park consists of:
  1. Jamaican 2000 Guineas
  2. Jamaican Derby
  3. Jamaican St. Leger
The winners of the Jamaican Triple Crown are:
The Jamaican Fillies' Triple Crown at Caymanas Park consists of:
  1. Jamaican 1000 Guineas
  2. Jamaican Oaks
  3. Jamaican St. Leger
The winners of the Jamaican Fillies' Triple Crown are:
The winners of the Panamanian Triple Crown have been:
In Poland, the Triple Crown consists of
  1. Nagroda Rulera, Polish 2000 Guineas, Warsaw, 1600 m
  2. Służewiec Derby, Warsaw, 2400 m
  3. St. Leger, Warsaw, 2800 m
Known Polish Triple Crown winners are:
The classic races for fillies are:
  1. Nagroda Wiosennej
  2. Nagroda Liry
No filly is known to have won the Polish Fillies' Triple Crown, which would conclude with the St. Leger. The Polish St. Leger is now open to 3-year-olds and up.

Puerto Rico

The Triple Crown series at Puerto Rico's Camarero Racetrack consists of three races at increasingly longer distances. They are:
  1. Derby Puertorriqueño at 1,700 metres held in the first Sunday of May
  2. Copa Gobernador at 1,800 metres held in the end of May
  3. Copa San Juan at 1,900 metres held in the last Sunday of June
The Puerto Rico Triple Crown winners are:
The three races that comprise the Triple Crown in Uruguay are:
  1. Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos
  2. Gran Premio Jockey Club
  3. Gran Premio Nacional
This combination of races received some publicity outside of Uruguay in 2006. The 2005 Triple Crown winner Invasor, after being sold to Sheik Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Shadwell Racing and sent to be raced in the United States, went on to win three Grade I races in 2006 before winning that year's Breeders' Cup Classic. He finished the year as the top-ranked horse in the 2006 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings, and won the 2007 Dubai World Cup before being retired to stud following a training injury.
Uruguayan Triple Crown winners are:
;1980 – present
Ecuador has two sets of races referred to as Triple Crowns:
Ecuador Triple Crown
  1. Clásico Estreno Dr. Raúl Lebed Sigall, at Hipódromo BUIJO in Samborondón
  2. Clásico Polla Nacional Sr. Agustin Febres Cordero, at Hipódromo BUIJO in Samborondón
  3. Clásico Derby Nacional Sr.Benjamin Rosales A., at Hipódromo BUIJO in Samborondón
Ecuador Fillies' Triple Crown
  1. Clásico Ing. Carlos San Andres, at Hipódromo BUIJO in Samborondo
  2. Clásico Sr. Eduardo Jairala F, at Hipódromo BUIJO in Samborondó
  3. Clásico Abogado Carlos Julio Arosemena Peet, at Hipódromo BUIJO in Samborondón
;Pre-1980
In Ecuador, the Triple Crown consists of:
  1. Clásico Nelson Uraga Suarez, at Hipódromo Santa Cecilia in Guayaquil
  2. Clásico Enrique Guzman Aspiazu, at Hipódromo Santa Cecilia in Guayaquil
  3. Clásico Inginiero Ignacio De Icaza Aspiazu, at Hipódromo Santa Cecilia in Guayaquil
Triple Crown Champions:
YearWinnerJockeyTrainerOwner
Miss Florida
Bananita
Capo Di Monte II
1967AlcatrazEstuardo ToreroAlcides GuerreroInginiero Miguel Salem Dibo
Pechiche
1971FarsanteEstuardo ToreroAlcides GuerreroInginiero Miguel Salem Dibo

Venezuela

has two sets of races referred to as Triple Crowns:
Venezuelan Official Triple Crown Champions :
YearWinnerJockeyTrainerOwner
1960GradiscoManuel CamacaroLeopoldo MárquezStud Rey-Gan
1972El CorsarioJosé Luís VargasEduardo AzpúruaStud El Corsario
1985IraquíJuan Vicente Tovar Daniel PérezStud Chivacoa
1992Catire BelloDouglas ValienteIván CalixtoStud Ilusión
2005Polo GroundsEmisael JaramilloCarlos RegaladoStud Black Label
2007TaconeoEmisael JaramilloGustavo DelgadoStud Paula C
2008El Gran CesarSantiago GonzálezAntonio MachadoStud Agrop. Los Alelíes
2010Water JetEmisael JaramilloGustavo DelgadoStud El Fantasma

Filly Triple Crown winners are:
The names of the races comprising the Philippines Triple Crown series are not known, but the winners noted are:
The three races that comprise the triple crown of Trinidad and Tobago were established in 1983 and they are:
  1. Easter Guineas
  2. Whitsun Classic Stakes
  3. Trinidad Derby
The Trinidad and Tobago triple crown winners are
Pre 1983
After 1983
The following horses won their Triple Crown when still undefeated. Those marked with an asterisk retired undefeated.
Only three jockeys have won the Triple Crown with different horses :
At least two jockeys is known to have won all three of a country's Triple Crown races in the same year on different horses:
One trainer is known to have accomplished the same feat as Contreras and García Paduani:
Don Seymour
Javier Santiago
Winston Grifiths - Jamaica
Alexis Feliciano - Puerto Rico
Emisael Jaramillo - Venezuela